Lesson 5 – Part 3: Mythic and Narrative Dimension

Original journal entry from July 22, 2025 – Response to Lesson 5: Introduction to Religion (Part 3: Mythic and Narrative Dimension). This was my personal story of transformation — identifying with Simon/Peter’s journey from doubt and clumsiness to bold leadership — and how it mirrored my own healing from past trauma, shyness, unforgiveness, and “daddy issues” to confidence, peace, and influence through intentional Bible reading and partnership with the Force.


The story from my life that follows so many other stories is one of identification. What comes to mind for me here is how I was telling one of my mentors about how I was identifying with Simon from the New Testament of the Bible, where Jesus invited him to walk on the water. And my mentor reminded me that in the New Testament this is not where the story ends for Simon. Simon from the Gospels transforms into Peter in the book of Acts. Simon from the Gospels is a fisherman and he seems kind of lost, and disoriented, and clumsy, and doesn’t seem to understand what Jesus is saying and what’s going on most of the time.

For me, in identifying with Simon from the Gospels, I was not looking at the full picture. I was looking at his experience where Jesus is walking on the water and challenges Peter to get out of the boat and to walk on the water with Him (Matthew 14:22-33). I too was feeling a little lost in life and I had lost sight of what and where the goal was. During this time, I felt that Jesus was challenging me to let go of the comfort and security of the boat, get out and let go of the boat, and walk with Him, fully trusting Him, and not knowing where we were going, just going where He was leading me.

What challenged me was that the transformed Peter in Acts had become a strong leader and a powerful speaker and a preacher to multitudes, followed by signs and wonders and miracles. I was not a people person. And I was terrified of getting up and speaking in front of even just a few people, much less large crowds. But it was Jesus who was leading the way.

The journey took me through a pastoral care and coaching program. I had the opportunity to mentor others coming through the program after me. And during the program I learned to discern my spiritual health in various areas and how to let go of past traumatic experiences and let go and forgive those who hurt me, even myself. And discovering lies that I believed about others, about myself and about God, and what the truth is.

I have been on this journey for over 5 years now and the transformation is remarkable. When I visit my hometown and relatives people say they don’t recognize me. Not that I look much different but they say that I’m a different person. I have a peace and a confidence that I never had before. I even have test results from the same personality test from 2019 (INTJ) and 2022 (ENFP) with different results.

But did I really change into a different person or did the transformation just uncover the person I’ve been all along? Just like Simon who became Peter, it was the purifying furnace, the pressure and the circumstances that forced him to become a leader. It reminds me also of the life of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. I too had some daddy issues to get through and for a time I thought my dad was my enemy.

It is said that unforgiveness or holding grudges is like drinking poison and hoping for the other person to die. I didn’t even realize that I had been poisoning myself because of hurts from 30+ years ago. I was believing lies about myself that were affecting my life in the present.

Now, being able to talk about my experiences, I’ve been able to help many others along with their transformation. It’s not that I search for opportunities to lead but more that as a person who has walked through the fire people seem to follow me. I’m told that I carry a peace about me that makes them want to know how they can have it too. And when I preach that they feel like fire is coming out of my mouth. They seem to hear something I don’t remember saying that spoke directly to their core.

I read the Bible as someone who is digging for a treasure and I share what I’ve found as much as I can. It’s not that I’m necessarily doing something different or what no one else can do but rather that I’m being intentional. When people say that they don’t understand the Bible or that it’s just a long list of dos and don’ts that they don’t want to know about, I think this has to do with actually reading it… intentionally. And sometimes we can read just for reading and not for understanding.

It is my view that it really is the word of God and that He has deposited something in there for me and each time I crack it open and start reading I receive a revelation I need in that moment. The treasure is buried and hidden from those who might just stumble across it and dismiss its worth. It’s hidden for those who truly seek it. This was not always my view; I used to just read it for reading it and maybe for finding any rules that I was breaking so that I could stop doing the thing and have a better life. My journey has changed the way I view things.

Umalohókan

House of Twin Suns
TM: Carlos Martinez

"You don't have to see the whole staircase just to take the first step."

(Signature links to IP Journal, Apprentice Journal, A.div Journal, and Degree Tracker omitted for brevity — these were forum navigation links at the time.)

The following user(s) said Thank You: RosalynJ


Looking back now: This entry was one of the most vulnerable and triumphant in the series — sharing my Simon-to-Peter transformation, healing from trauma and shyness, and how the program helped me see my life story as mythic/narrative, with intentional Bible reading as treasure-hunting. It marked a major point of owning my journey fully.